In 1984, Helen Folasade Adu, professionally known as Sade, appropriately asked the question, “Why Can’t We Live Together.” And while the question remains ever more relevant today as it did then, we struggle to foresee the one-sidedness of our biased perspectives, and ensuing behaviors, making it easier for us to take prejudiced actions against innocent individuals.
In the ongoing struggle to contain the global pandemic, we have to also deal with individuals who wrongly accuse, judge, sentence, and even execute innocent victims because of their loose ethnic association. Consider the amount of energy used to get a person to a state of such hate. The time consumed to think over the matter and plan to carry out the atrocities in Atlanta this week needlessly killing innocent individuals and forever scarring their families and friends. And why? Because we always need to blame someone for how we feel. Or possibly, we cannot just be positive and happy, we need to find a reason for discontent, and we look to attribute our malaise to others, even to people we do not know.
Imagine taking all the negative energy expended to arrive at a heightened state of hate and channeling it towards love, kindness, and good. Daily we are all confronted with emotional choices. When you are, what choices do you make? The final choice is yours, and how will you choose to use your energy? Your decision may likely affect more than just yourself.
As Sade sang,
“No matter, no matter what color
You are still my brother.
Everybody wants to live together
why can’t we be together.”
Respite from your day. Enjoy Sade
